Afghan crisis forces Air India to shed passenger luggage at Delhi airport

Airline's generous baggage policy is now a challenge after it's forced to take a longer route when flying to some US destinations.

Air India is leaving behind some 50 bags at the Delhi airport as it flies to the US, reducing what it carries after the closure of Afghanistan’s airspace increased flight time by at least 30 minutes.

Air India flies the Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft to New York, Newark, Chicago, Washington and San Francisco. While the San Francisco flight takes the eastern routes, the other four usually cross Afghanistan into Central Asia and Russia. After the Afghan airspace closed on August 16, Air India's Europe and US bound flights are taking a southern route via Pakistan and Iran into Central Asia.

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